The water supply in Hamirpur town of Himachal Pradesh was restored on Saturday after a gap of six days amid incessant rainfall in the state, but residents claimed the water is so muddy it is unfit for drinking.

Many residents of the town also complained that they were being forced to purchase water from tanker owners at Rs 1,700 per tanker.

Officials of the Jal Shakti department said there is a possibility of water bodies getting muddy because of the torrential rain over the last few days and people should take precautions to prevent any water-borne diseases.

Superintending Engineer, Jal Shakti, Neeraj Bhogal said although the department was determined to provide clean drinking water, precautions should be taken.

He advised the residents of Hamirpur district to boil water for at least 20 minutes before drinking and regularly clean water storage utensils and tanks.

Hamirpur district witnessed an outbreak of water-borne diseases in January and jaundice in June this year.

The department has provided field testing kits to all gram panchayats for sampling and testing of water.

Meanwhile, officials of the Electricity Board cautioned people to stay away from electric poles and power lines to prevent accidents.

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